72 percent of St. Norbert College alumni feel that the college is moving in “the right direction.”

83 percent of alums feel very satisfied with their St. Norbert experience.

December 2011

Survey shows growing alum positivity

If you feel positively about being a St. Norbert grad and strive to stay connected with your fellow alumni, you’re in good and growing company, according to a phone survey conducted this summer.

Of the former Green Knights surveyed, 83 percent feel very satisfied with their St. Norbert experience, and 78 percent have very positive feelings about the college today. Both figures have increased since a similar phone survey in 2005.

Those positive feelings may flow from a mounting sense among alumni that the college is moving in “the right direction.” In 2005, 55 percent of respondents agreed with that statement. Today, 72 percent do.

The survey also probed alumni interest in 11 ways to stay involved with the college – activities from helping attract prospective students to representing the college in your community or congregation. Results suggest that, far and away, alums’ preferred way to stay in touch with St. Norbert is to stay in touch with each other. Fifty-six percent say they are “definitely interested” in doing so, and 70 percent of respondents have gotten together with a group of alums on their own in the last few years.

Survey results further suggest that, should you head to campus events to reconnect with classmates, you’re more likely to run into them there. From 2005 to 2011, significantly higher percentages of respondents report having attended Homecoming/Reunion (35 percent vs. 23 percent) or an alumni chapter event (21 percent vs. 12 percent) in the last few years. Likewise, a greater proportion of respondents (32 percent vs. 20 percent) has attended a cultural or educational event on campus in recent years.

A significant majority of alumni surveyed – 61 percent – say they have made a financial gift to the college in the last few years. Those donors indicate that their primary motives for giving are to provide financial assistance to St. Norbert students in need and to give back to the college for the positive influence it has had on their lives.

The survey was conducted by the St. Norbert College Strategic Research Institute (SRI). In addition to this year’s phone survey, the SRI conducted an online survey of 2,012 alumni. A full report on the research indicates that results for both methodologies were comparable.